Modding Setup
WIP WARNING: The game is still in active alpha development. Mods you make aren't guaranteed to work with the latest version of the game. Your mods are entirely up to you to maintain, unless someone decides to patch your mod for you. Warning probably sounds scarier than it actually is. Editors Have no doubts, you do need an editor beyond the one that came with your system. They will properly read and understand json files, will come with a boat load of useful features, and generally make you have a much better time while modding. Don't stress your editor choice too much, as you can easily change it at any time (though there may be issues with indents). Do know that these all have portable versions if you want your editor and modding work on say, a USB, separate from your main system. There are other well-made text editors beyond the three listed here, but these are among the best ''free ''editors out there. Two of the editors here have a proven track record with Threshold himself. Atom Portable version (download the zip/archive for your platform from the latest release.) *Supports all desktop platforms. *Well featured. *Built-in package support, useful for linter/IDE support. (Search for "atom-ide-ui" and "json-ide" packages) *Built-in folder navigation. *Highly 'hackable' (read customizable) *Git integration. (If you don't know what git is, don't sweat it and move on) *Github integration. (If you don't know what github is, don't sweat it and move on) *Currently used by Threshold. Visual Studio Code Portable version *Supports all desktop platforms. *Most featured editor out of the box. *Built-in folder navigation. *Fast built-in package support, useful for linter/IDE support. (Search for the package simply called "JSON") *Customizable. *Git integration. *Github integration possible. Notepad++ For the portable version, go to the Downloads page, select the latest version, and grab the zip file. *Windows only. *Battle-tested. *Was used by Threshold during the initial creation of the game. *Feature-lite. *Lightweight on your system compared to the other editors. *.... As a result, it is the fastest to boot up. *Supports packages and customization, with some effort. (Including JSON IDE/Linter solutions) It is'' HIGHLY '''encouraged to use a JSON IDE or JSON Linter in your editor of choice. It will help you avoid critical errors that cause the game to crash from improper JSON formatting. If you really don't wish to use a JSON IDE or Linter, then you can use this handy website to debug json formatting issues. 'Metadata List Let's begin setting up something all mods will need using your shiny new editor: a metadata list. "Metadata file contents name: The name of the mod, seen only by ModLoader baseDir: The name of the folder in "ModLoader/mods" which contains this mod's files description: A description of what the mod does - currently not used author: The author of the mod - currently not used modLoaderVer: Which version of ModLoader this mod is created for, to prevent incompatibilities - currently not used prerequisites: Which, if any, mods need to be installed before this one - currrently not used" Guide the player through using their file editor so they have a chance to get familiar with it, and teach them some of the modding fundamentals via having them make a metadata list. The MGD Directory Modding Guide It is highly recommended you read the mod manual in the game's files and use already in game files as a base for learning to mod the game. Detail everything within the MGD Directory that is relevant to modders, the blanks, examples, the useful folders, tips n' tricks, etc. Releasing All the ways players can release a mod, be it a discord upload, mega upload, or github repo. Point them to Mod List and #Mod-Posting regardless as places to share. In-game Console Art Detail how to work with images, expressions, layers in MGD. Then point to commissioning, and doing it yourself. List art program recs, some points on drawing tablets, etc. Music Detail how to work with music in MGD. Help Discord, further resources, etc.